Arkansas is one of three pilot states participating in the StrikeForce Initiative.

Comment

Stuttgart Daily Leader - Stuttgart, AR

Writer

Posted Aug. 30, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Updated Aug 30, 2012 at 11:07 AM

Posted Aug. 30, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Updated Aug 30, 2012 at 11:07 AM

LITTLE ROCK

USDA recently announced that the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Arkansas has received an additional $1.8 million in Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding and $179,000 in Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) funding to implement conservation practices in 25 identified high poverty rural counties in Arkansas through the USDA’s StrikeForce Initiative.

Arkansas is one of three pilot states participating in the StrikeForce Initiative. It is designed to help relieve persistent poverty in high poverty counties by accelerating USDA assistance while working closely with Community Based Organizations. The StrikeForce Initiative counties are: Arkansas, Bradley, Chicot, Clark, Columbia, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Hempstead, Howard, Jackson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Mississippi, Monroe, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Phillips, Randolph, Searcy, Sevier, St. Francis and Woodruff.

“The StrikeForce Initiative is helping us direct additional resources to better serve producers in persistent poverty rural communities,” said NRCS State Conservationist Mike Sullivan. “The additional EQIP and WHIP money will allow us to fund more requests in those counties from previous signups.

“We are focusing on these identified high poverty counties to help improve the quality of life of producers and to accelerate implementation of conservation practices on their land,” said Sullivan. “With the additional funding, all applications from historically underserved producers will be funded and serviced.”